"It has to be him" - Pundit names Chelsea star who deserves to be captain ahead of Reece James 

Former Arsenal star Emmanuel Petit has urged Chelsea's next manager to strip Reece James of his captaincy. The pundit believes midfielder Conor Gallagher deserves the armband ahead of the right-back.

The Blues sacked Mauricio Pochettino after the conclusion of the 2023-24 campaign and are in the market for a new boss. Meanwhile, James registered just 10 Premier League appearances in the recently concluded season, missing most of the campaign after undergoing surgery on his hamstring.

The Cobham academy graduate has struggled to remain fit ever since his first-team promotion in 2019. He has missed 91 games for the west Londoners through injury in that time.

Petit believes James is too unreliable to be captain and Gallagher should take up the role full time. The midfielder was a key player for Pochettino, contributing seven goals and nine assists in 50 appearances across all competitions.

Petit said (via The Mirror):

“We all know James is such a great player and we’re always crossing our fingers that he plays as much as possible."

The former Arsenal star added:

“However, how much has he played in the last three years? It’s nowhere near enough. You cannot be the captain when you miss the majority of games - it reminds me of Abou Diaby at Arsenal when you could just never rely on him due to his unfortunate injuries."

He concluded:

“Conor Gallagher should be the club captain, it certainly needs to be considered by the new manager. Gallagher is a symbol on the pitch and plays every game so it has to be him.”

Gallagher has been linked with an exit from the club this summer as he enters the final 12 months of his Chelsea contract.

"Thank you for everything boss" - Chelsea captain Reece James reacts to Mauricio Pochettino's exit

It was announced earlier this week that the Chelsea board decided to part ways with Mauricio Pochettino by mutual consent. Despite a strong end to the season that saw his side finish sixth in the league and secure European football, the Argentine's brief tenure at Stamford Bridge has come to an end.

Reece James took to social media to express his gratitude for the outgoing Chelsea boss. He even apologized to Pochettino for his lack of game time this season.

The Englishman posted a picture of him and Pochettino with a caption that read:

"Thank you for everything boss. We had an amazing relationship from the moment we met. I never played as much as I would have hoped under you, which I am sorry for but also something I couldn’t control.

"You believed in me and gave me a huge responsibility when many others doubted me. Also a special mention to the other staff that played a huge roll that not many others would see, Jesus Perez, Toni Jimenez, Miguel D’Agostino, Sebastiano Pochettino. Thank you all and good luck in the future!"

James has registered 158 appearances so far at Chelsea, contributing 11 goals and 22 assists. He has won the UEFA Champions League and the UEFA Supercup with the Blues.